Figure Out Funding

At some point in your journey as a spiritual innovator, you’ll face the essential question: How do I sustain this work financially? Whether you’re hosting gatherings, offering spiritual care, or have created a tool to help people nourish their spiritual lives, meaningful work needs resources to grow and last. That’s where a funding strategy comes in. It’s your intentional plan for how your work will be supported, whether that means raising money from community members, applying for philanthropic grants, charging for services, or bringing in mission-aligned investment. 

There’s no one right way to fund your work. That’s part of the adventure! Some spiritual innovators sustain their projects through community donations like the Wild Fig Network, membership dues like ChaiVillageLA, or proportional tithing like the ministries of Church of the Saviour. Others earn income through social enterprises like Union Coffee or consulting like Center DC. Still others are funded by existing religious institutions like the Center for Spiritual Imagination or seek out visionary investors like Homecoming Health or Hallow. Some operate entirely on the gift economy, like ServiceSpace. Many spiritual innovators combine multiple funding streams to sustain their work. 

What matters is finding a path that aligns with your mission, values, and the needs of those you serve. Building a funding strategy may feel intimidating at first, but it’s also a powerful invitation: to imagine new possibilities, build authentic relationships, and include a wider circle in creating something beautiful. You don’t have to have it all figured out—you just have to take the next step.